


Jigsaw

by DeutchRemy



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Between Seasons, Dad Hopper, El and Hop, cabin life, raising a telekinetic preteen, season 1.5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25833421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeutchRemy/pseuds/DeutchRemy
Summary: Just another tiny snippet of cabin life with El and Hop.  Set in spring of 1984.  Just fluff.  Please review!
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper & Jim "Chief" Hopper
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	Jigsaw

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to take this opportunity to make a plea for more El and Hop fics, especially those set during season 1.5.

“El? El, are you crying? C’mere, kid, whassa matter?”

The girl’s face is beet-red and tears are leaking from every corner of her eyes.

“can’t finish.” She sobs, holding the top of the jigsaw puzzle box out towards me.

“You...huh?”

“can’t finish...p-p-uzzle.” She blubbers through another shoulder-shaking sob.

“Hey hey hey, that’s nothing to cry about.” I soothe. “Put that down. C’mere.”

She comes to where I’m sitting at the table but doesn’t relinquish the box top, clutching it in her left hand as she maneuvers herself to stand between my knees.

I put my coffee mug down so I can wrap both arms around the shaking girl.

“Okay, no more tears, El. Why’s this got you so upset, huh?”

She opts to whine and feverishly wipe her face with her hand instead of answer me.

“Hmm? C’mon, talk to me, kiddo. Why’re you crying over this?”

The overall-clad girl shrugs her shoulders and lets out another hitching sob, her chest heaving with the effort.

“Did you think I’d be mad if you didn’t finish the puzzle?” I squeeze her gently.

She shakes her head.

“Okay, good, cuz you know puzzles are only for fun, right? I’m sure you know by now I’m not like Papa and would never make you do something you didn’t want to do.”

El nods quickly and swipes at more tears as they fall.

“Okay, so why are you so upset? I don’t like seeing you upset.”

She shrugs again and backs up so she’s perched on my thigh.

“C’mon, tell me why you’re so sad over this. You know I’m gonna worry if you don’t tell me.” I rub her back.

“w-wanted to see...” she heaves another sob, “picture.”

I nearly laugh.

“That’s what this is about, kid?”

“pretty picture.” She hiccups.

“Yeah it’s pretty for sure but nothing to cry over.” I thump her back gently with my hand and she hiccups again.

“w-wanted to see.”

“I know you did, sweetie pie, I know you did. Now why don’t you show me how far you got and we’ll see if we can finish it?” I pat her hip. “C’mon, up.”

“can’t finish…” She whines, making no move to get off my leg.

“Yeah, we can finish it. As long as there’s no missing pieces we can finish it. Now c’mon.”

She stands and takes my hand to lead me over to the wooden table against the wall. A half-finished puzzle - the third one she’s worked on since I brought her home - sits in the middle.

I take the box cover from her and look at it for the first time. I can see why it’s giving her a hard time. It’s a nighttime scene of a deer in a forest. The border and the deer itself are complete but there’s so many damn trees and they’re so dark that there’s little differentiation between the pieces.

“You know what, kid?”

She looks at me with her red eyes and tear-streaked face.

“This puzzle is way too hard. I tried to do this one when I was a kid, too. And you know what? I couldn’t finish it. I put it all back in the box and stowed it away and never touched it ever again.”

“but…want to finish it.”

“And you can still try. Just don’t get too frustrated if you can’t because this thing’s nearly impossible, okay?

“help?”

“Yeah, of course I’ll help you. We still might not be able to finish it, though, and if we can’t, we’re not gonna get frustrated. You know why?”

The girl shakes her curly head.

“Cuz we can always look at the picture on the cover. See, it’s just as pretty.”

“pretty.” She gives me a tiny smile.

“There’s that smile I’ve been wanting to see.” I push my sleeves up. “Alright, how about we work on this for an hour until dinner, then an hour after dinner until it’s your bathtime?”

“yes.” She wipes away more tears, though she’s not producing anywhere near the same amount as she was five minutes ago.

“Alright, let’s get to work.”


End file.
